It’s Your Last Chance to Speak Up about the Mental Health Plan

Bermuda Hospitals Board today reminds the community that the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute (MWI) will be holding the last community forum seeking feedback on the new mental health plan from 7-8.30pm on Thursday 10 February 2011 at Penno’s Wharf, St George’s.

This is the third and final community forum relating to the new Mental Health Plan, launched by the Minister of Health last year. The first stage of this plan was to engage the community and elicit feedback.

The first community forum was held at BUEI, the second was in Somerset and the third is going East, so that all communities in Bermuda have a chance to get involved and speak up.

Executive Director of MWI, Sharon Apopa comments: “Time and time again people put their mental health on the back burner and don’t think about the services they need on the island. While we worry about having homeless people, we tend not to think that improved community mental health services could support some of these people and help them recover their lives. While we worry about finances and our jobs in the current economic situation, we don’t think about how this stress can lead to depression and what services we would need to help us get back on our feet. Mental health is everybody’s business and one in four of us will suffer from a mental health condition – that means if it is not us, it is going to be a family member or loved one. We have a new plan to improve services, especially in the community, where we want more of our clients to be treated and live. But we need the community involvement as we go forward – we need their support, their ideas and their involvement. Please come out and speak up.”